Mental Health in youth football: A systematic review of risk and protective factors

Mental health in athletes was for many years overlooked due to stereotypes of resilience. However, high-profile cases like Álvaro Morata’s openness about depression have challenged this view. Since 2010, research and institutional attention have grown significantly. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has emphasized the prevalence of mental health disorders among elite athletes and the need for evidence-based care and destigmatization. The European Association for Sport Psychology (FEPSAC) stressed that mental disorders in athletes are comparable to the general population but often go unrecognized due to sport-specific stressors and varied healthcare systems. The International Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP) further advocates a holistic, multidimensional approach, calling for sport-specific assessments, psychologically safe environments, and multidisciplinary teams led by mental health officers to support early detection and interventions like CBT, mindfulness, and digital tools. Although several reviews address mental health in football, most of them focus on adult players, specific disorders (e.g., depression, burnout), particular events (e.g., career termination), or the post-COVID-19 period. However, there is limited research specifically on youth football players. To address this gap, this systematic review aims to explore relevant studies on mental health and well-being in youth football players, for the ages 12 to 19, identify the relevant factors, assess validated measures, and recommend evidence-informed strategies to mitigate the problem